People who carry two copies of the gene mutation most strongly implicated in Alzheimer's disease are almost certain to develop brain changes related to the degenerative disorder, a new study says.

The authors argue that the APOE4 gene variant plays an even more important role than scientists had realized and causes a distinct form of Alzheimer’s.

Alzheimer’s disease may be inherited more often than previously known, according to a new study that paints a clearer picture of a gene long known to be linked to the common form of dementia.

People with two copies of the gene variant APOE4 are almost certain to get Alzheimer’s, say researchers, who proposed a framework under which such patients could be diagnosed years before symptoms.

Researchers writing in the journal Nature have identified a genetic form of late-onset Alzheimer's disease in people who inherit two copies of a worrisome gene.